Viacheslav Fetisov, or “Slava” to those who know him, can strike fear into opponents with just a penetrating stare. However, it was his grit and determination that established him as a sports icon, and he is using that same dedication today to address the climate crisis – in particular, that rising temperatures may lead to an ice-free Arctic by 2040, according to an Arctic Council report. As ice floes melt, rising sea levels will impact even communities far away from the polar regions.
The 61-year-old belongs to a league of elite sportsmen, encompassing the likes of Muhammad Ali and Andre Agassi, who have become a voice for humanity, and he is pushing for awareness and action to prevent this devastating development. A former Russian ice hockey champion with a career studded with golds from the Olympics, as well as World and European Championships, he has seen firsthand the effects of global warming. In Helsinki, for instance, he could not find a frozen pond in the coldest month of February on which to play ice hockey with Finnish President Sauli Niinisto.
As the Unesco Champion for Sport, and the UN Environment Patron for Polar Regions, he has spearheaded a worldwide initiative – #TheLastGame, supported by no less than Pope Francis and Prince Albert II of Monaco. This unprecedented ice hockey game will take place on the Barneo ice floe at the North Pole on April 20, 2020.
This story is from the December 2019 edition of The PEAK Singapore.
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This story is from the December 2019 edition of The PEAK Singapore.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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